N.S. university students piece together mystery of Oak Island artifacts
The famous Oak Island still has a few mysteries left, and a group of Nova Scotia university students are working to uncover them by examining artifacts.
Jonathan Fowler, a professor of archaeology at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, is leading his students in an examination of artifacts discovered on the island, which has been the subject of endless speculation and a TV show.
“We are looking at the collection that was given to university by Robert Young, who passed away recently,” Fowler said. “This collection comes from Lot Five on Oak Island. It’s a collection of materials (Young) gathered through treasure hunting activities.
“The pot of gold for archaeologists is often information and, especially when you’re a teacher, the additional pot of gold is sharing it with your students.”
Zea Jones is a third-year student who enjoys trying to solve the mystery of centuries-old artifacts.
“This class encapsulates a lot of what I like about the discipline,” Jones said. “It’s almost like you’re looking at a giant puzzle where you don’t have all the pieces nor do you have the box. Everything’s a mystery. It’s so fun and it’s so valuable.”
Fellow student Joanna Cochran is also thrilled to see the artifacts up close.
“When I heard there was an opportunity to study the artifacts from Oak Island, I was super excited and really interested in it,” Cochran said. “Very excited to see and actually touch the artifacts.”
Fowler said the plan is to digitize the collection and potentially put it online sometime in the future.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Valentine Nkengbeza and Crystal Garrett.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as possible Rafah offensive looms
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia
Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.